Winsor's tough line with railmen

Tom Winsor, the rail regulator, yesterday warned that he would take a tough line when assessing Network Rail's demands for more money to run the railways.

Publishing a consultation document on his interim review of the amount Network Rail can charge the train operators, Mr Winsor said: "Getting a grip on the soaring costs of the railway is essential if public confidence is to be maintained."

He added that Network Rail must present "detailed and robust evidence" to support its case for more cash.

Mr Winsor said over the past two years, "Railtrack has been spending considerably more than I allowed the company in revenues in the October 2000 periodic review."

The over-spend is understood to have accelerated since Railtrack went into administration in October last year and John Armitt took over as chief executive.

He is believed to be spending over £1.5 billion more a year on maintenance and track replacement than allowed. There are also growing concerns in the industry over the cost of implementing safety measures, which Mr Winsor's paper acknowledges.